Materials Needed to Plant Wild Strawberries

Gardening Tools

• There are several gardening tools essential for planting strawberries. A shovel is necessary to break up the soil to make it loose and aerated. A rake is useful for leveling the soil and making the garden even. Another use for rakes is to create clear planting rows for easier harvesting. It is also important to have work gloves on hand, and a small trowel. A wheelbarrow is useful for mixing the soil with any amendments.

Amendments

• Loamy soil is the kind of soil that wild strawberries prefer, according to Illinois Wildflowers. Creating a mix of about 50 percent loam and compost and 50 percent natural soil will produce the healthiest wild strawberry plants. Make sure to have enough loam on hand to apply at least a 1-inch layer throughout the gardening bed. Leaf compost, manure or kitchen-scrap compost will all work equally well for providing an ideal growing environment.

  Wild strawberries prefer soil that is slightly acidic. A few weeks before planting, pine needles should be spread over the soil to add slight acidity to the soil. If your soil is already on the acidic side (below 7 on the pH scale), then pine needles are not needed.

Watering Can

• New wild strawberry seeds must be watered two to three times a week. It is essential to have a way to provide a gentle application of water. A watering can may be replaced with a hose or drip irrigation system in larger garden beds.

Fertilizer

• Fertilizer is not necessary before planting the wild strawberry seeds or plants unless the soil is extremely poor. If fertilizer is necessary, apply the fertilizer several months before planting the seeds, in the winter if planting in the spring, and in the summer if planting in the fall. Use an all purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer.

Mulch

• After planting the seeds, a covering of straw mulch will help the soil retain moisture and the seeds stay where they are supposed to grow. Straw mulch also helps the strawberry plants produce runners, according to Edible Landscaping Online.

Refrigerator

• Strawberry seeds are used to lying dormant for several months before planting. If you choose to plant the seeds, store them in the refrigerator for several months before planting.